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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026
Note on what this actually compares: No government publishes a “lifestyle tier” cost-of-living index, so we don’t invent one. This tool compares the one real, checkable number every destination in this list is built from: the minimum funds each government legally requires you to prove — the same figures verified and dated on our Proof of Funds by Country hub. Pick up to three destinations you’re actually deciding between and see them side by side, in each country’s own published currency.
Pick up to 3 destinations to compare
Why this isn’t a full “cost of living” tool
Search for “cost of living comparison by country” and you’ll find dozens of tools built on crowdsourced or modeled estimates — useful for a general sense, but not something a visa officer, embassy, or immigration lawyer will ever ask you to cite. This tool does something narrower and more useful for your application: it shows you the one number that’s actually part of the legal process, side by side, for the destinations you’re genuinely choosing between.
Where a government hasn’t published a figure at all — the US, Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea all fall into this category for different reasons — the comparison says so plainly instead of estimating one. That’s consistent with every tool on this site: see how we verify every figure.
Free tools for this
- Proof of Funds Calculator — the exact balance to show for your specific destination and course length
- Budget Breakdown by Destination — separates locked government figures from your own tuition and setup-cost estimates
- Country Match Quiz — rank destinations on work hours and post-study stay, not just funds
Frequently asked questions
Does this convert everything into one currency so I can compare directly?
No, deliberately. A live currency conversion would be stale the moment exchange rates move, and would imply a precision this tool doesn’t have. Every figure is shown exactly as the relevant government publishes it, in its own currency — check a live rate separately if you want a USD or EUR equivalent.
Why do some destinations show “not applicable” or “not published”?
Because that’s the honest answer. The US calculates your number per school on your I-20; Australia’s figure lives in a legislative instrument rather than the visa page; Germany’s blocked-account amount varies by mission; Japan’s and Singapore’s are set by your specific school or institution. None of these have a single comparable national figure to show.
Is the “monthly equivalent” an official figure?
Only where the note says so. For countries that publish an annual lump sum (Canada, Norway, Switzerland’s Zurich canton), the monthly figure shown is our own calculation — annual divided by 12 — purely so you can compare it against destinations that do publish a monthly rate. It is clearly labeled as calculated, not official.
How current are these figures?
Pulled directly from our Proof of Funds by Country hub, each individually dated. Several of these update annually — always confirm the live figure on the official source before you move money.
Every figure sourced on: Proof of Funds Requirements by Country, where each destination links to its own government or university source. Figures checked directly against official pages; always confirm the current amount before applying.
Explore more options on our full tools index.
